Circuit closer



Dec. 25, 1928.

J. T. HARRIGAN CIRCUIT CLOSER Filed July 12, 1923 IN V ENTOR A TTORNE YS Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN T. HARRIGAN, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT Application filed July 12,

My invention relates to circuit closers for jewel and money boxes.

An object of the invention is to provide a circuit closer adapted to sound an alarm when the box with which the circuit closer is associated is lifted bodily from a. support or when its lid is raised.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conj notion with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective ,view showing an outer casing or box which is comprised in the device together with the alarm sounding means housed herein, the lid of the outer case or box being raised.

Figure 2 is a view showing aninner' case or box which is comprised in the device,

Figure 3 is a tranverse vertical section through the complete box with the lid of the outercase or box in raised position, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing circuitswhich may be employed to operate the means for sounding an alarm. 'My invention is designed primarily, al-

. though not necessarily, for the use of theatrical performers and others who have occasion to leave small articles of value such as jewelry, money and the like unguarded for short intervals or in fact for any length of time.

In carrying out my invention, I provide an outer case or box 1 which preferably is formed of steel or other electrical conducting metal of relatively great strength and which may comprise a substantiallyfiat bottom 2, a pair of parallel end walls 3, a pair of parallel side walls 4, a-ll'formed integrally with one another, and a lid 5 which preferdepending continuous marginal flange alt-- tached by hinges 7 made of'an electrical conducting material to one of the side walls 4 at the upper edge of the latter. An inner case or box 8 comprises a bottom 9, a-pair of paral lel side walls 10 and a pair of parallelend walls 11, all made of a suitable material, such as metal and formed integrally one-with the other or permanently secured to each other in any suitable known manner, The length of the inner box 9 is slightly less. than the distance between the inner. faces of the end walls 3 so that the inner box 8 is adapted to rest within the outer box 1 and to span the space between thecnd walls of the latter. However, the width of the inner box is considerably ably is of boxslike formation and includes a CLOSER.

1923. Serial No. 651,157.

less than that of the outer box so that a space will be provided between the side wall 4 to which the lid 5 is attached and the adjacent side wall of the inner box when the latter is disposed within the outer box with the open side of the inner box uppermost and one side wall of the inner box in contiguous relation to the side of the outer box which is opposite that to which the lid 5 is attached.

This space is indicated at 12 in Figure 3 of the drawings and is closed at its upper end by a horizontally disposed rectangular plate 12 which is permanently secured along one longitudinal edge to the side wall of the inner box which is proximate to the side wall of the outer box to which the lid 5 is attached or which may be formed integrally with the said side wall of the inner box. The length of the plate '12 is approximately the same as that of the inner box and the width of the plate 12 is approximately equal to the distance between the side of the outer box to which the lid 5 is attached and the adjacent side of the inner box when the latter is disposed within the outer box in the position illustrated in Figure 3.

The articles which are to be safeguarded may be placed within the compartment which is provided within the inner box 8. The means for sounding an alarm when the lid 5 of the outer box is raised or when the outer box and the contents thereof are lifted bodi- 1y from a supporting surface includes an electricbell 18 which is disposed within the space or compartment 12 and may be secured in any suitable known manner to one of the side walls 4, being insulated from the latter in any suitable known manner. A source of electric current supply shown as a battery ltalso is disposed within the compartment 12 and one side thereofis connected electrically by a conductor 15 to one side of the bell 13. An elongated switch arm 16'made of amaterial having electrical conducting qualities is secured at 17 against the inner face of the flange 6 of the lidoftheouterbox and depends a vertical plane when the lid 5 is closed and the box 1 rests upon a horizontal supporting surface and to lie in a horizontal plane when the box 1 is supported in the manner just described and the lid 5 has been raised. The switch arm 16 is held in contact with the lid of the outer box by the fastening means 17. A spring contact member 19 is adapted to cooperate with the movable switch arm 16 within the space 12, being arranged to lie in against which the free end portion of the 7 switch arm moves when the lid has been iii fully raised, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. It is to be understood however, that the switch arm 16.,w1ll engage at its free end vith the intermediate portion of he spring contact member 19 upon. a slight upward movement of the lid 5 from fully closed position and will remain in contact with the intermediate portion of the spring contact member-19 during the continued upward movement of the lid toward the position illustrate ed in Figuresl and The spring cont-actmember 19 is connectedto the second side of the bell 13=by anel ect rical conductor 23 which may be attached at one ofits ends to a binding post 21 which is carried by the contact member 19 and at its other end to the second side of the bell.

The circuitf'or operating the bell which has been described so far'is as follows: from one side ofthe battery 14:,to the bell through the conductor 15, through the bell, along the conductor 23 to the spring contact member 19, from they other side of the battery l l along the outer case 1, hinges 7 and lid 5 to the movable switch arm 16 and from the movable switch arm 16 to the springcontact member 19 when the lid has been raised to move the switch arm 16 into contact with the horizontal portion 22 of the'spring contact member. The bell, 13 will be sounded so long as the switch arm 16 is incontact with the vspring contact member 19-. l/Vhen the lid is in closed position, the switch arm 16v is out. of contact with the spring contact member 19 andthe circuit is broken.

It is also desirable that the'bell 13 shall be actuated when the outer box is lifted bodily. To this end, I provide a movable switch arm 24 which is made of a material having spring qualities. and is attached adjacentto one of its ends to. thebottom2, asat25, be-

ingchsposed interiorly of the outer box as best seen in Figure 1. The switch armj24 is connected electrically to one side of theba-ttery 1 1 by means of a conductor 26. lrsubstantially U -shaped contact member 27 having -a pair of-vertically spaced parallel arms 27 and 27 respectively, isarranged with the arm 27" secured upon a sheet of insulation 34 which in turn is secured upon the bottom 2, the arrangement being such that the switch arm 24 extends between the arms 27 and 27*.

The contact member 27 is connected by an electrical conductor 28 with the side of the bell 13 opposite that which is connected to the battery 14. Therefore,-w-hen the switch arm 24 is in contact with eitherof the arms 27 or 27 of the contact member 27, the bell 13 will be actuated. The circuit causing such operation of the bell is as follows: from the battery 1% to the bell along, the conductor 15, from the bell to the contact member 27 along the conductor 28, from the contact member 27 through one of the arms 27 or 27" to the switch arm 24: and from the latter to the other side of the battery along the conductor 26. When the case 1 is resting in an upright position upon a flat supporting surface, the switch arm24 is held out of contact with'the contact member 27 by means of a slidable switch arm actuating member 29 which extends slidablythrough a vertical opening 30 in the bottom 2 and presses at its upper end against the lower face or side of the free end portion of the switch arm 2%, thereby raising the latter from the arm 27 'to position between the arms 27 and 27 The member 29 therefore functions in the manner of a push button and also serves as .One of the four spaced apart supports or legs for the case 1 since the 7 portion thereof which depends below the lower face of thebottom 2 is-substantiallythe same as that of each ofthe remaining" legs, the latter being designated 31 and being fiX- edly secured to the bottom 2 of the case. The

legs 29'31preferably are located at points adjacent to the corners of the bottom 2.

From the foregoingdescription of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. VV'hen the lid 5 has been raised, the circuit through the switch arm 16- and the spring contact member 19 will be closed and the bell will'be sounded. At this time, the lateral plate extension 121will conceal the bell 13 arid the parts operating the bell from view. It therefore will be dif'l'cultfor a person unfamiliar with the construction of the device to stop the sounding ofthe bell by breaking the circuit-L l/Varningwill be given to interested persons that some unauthorized person has opened the b OX; 1

Should an attempt'b'e made to remove the box bodily, the bell 13 will be operated as soon as the box has been lifted from the surface upon which it was supported as the spring arm 24 will be actuated because of the resiliency of the material of which it is formed to swingdownwardly into contact with the arm 27 of the stationary contact member 28 as soon as the movable supporting element 29 is permitted to move outwardly through the opening 30.' This of courseris when the box is lifted and the supporting surface upon which the box rests no longer acts Should the movable switch arm operating member 29 be pressed inwardly against the arm 27* of the contact member 27 in an endeavor to stop the sounding of the alarm, the circuit through the contact member 27 and the switch arm will be closed to insure further soimding of the alarm.

The case 1 and the lid therefor may be provided with cooperative fastening elements of any suitable known construction, such as the cooperative locking elements indicated respectively at 32 and 33.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawing and I therefore consider as my own all modifications and adaptations of the form of the device herein described which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is In combination a portable base having a plurality of fixed supporting feet upon its under face, a U-shaped contact member supported upon the inner face of the base with its parallel legs arranged horizontally and vhaving electrical connection with one terminal of a source of electrical energy, a resilient switch arm fixed to the base and having electrical connection with the other ter minal of the source of electrical energy, the switch arm being disposed between the parallel legs of the U-shaped member and normally urged towards the lower one to complete an electrical circuit, and a vertically movable supporting foot attached to the free end of the switch arm and normally holding the latter in a position where it will not contact with the U-shaped member while the portable base is at rest upon a support, the switch arm being operable to engage the upper horizontal leg of the U-shaped member to complete the electrical circuit in the event the movable foot is pushed manually upwardly.

JOHN T. HARRIGAN. 

